1. Swamps and Forests: Millions of years ago, vast swamps and forests thrived in warm, humid environments. These areas were teeming with plants like ferns, horsetails, and early trees.
2. Death and Decay: When these plants died, they fell into the swampy water. They didn't fully decompose because the water was oxygen-poor, and bacteria couldn't break them down entirely.
3. Burial and Pressure: Over time, layers of sediment (mud, sand, etc.) built up on top of these plant remains, burying them deeper and deeper. The weight of these layers created enormous pressure.
4. Transformation: This pressure, combined with heat from the Earth's interior, squeezed out the water and other volatile compounds from the plant matter. The remaining carbon-rich material gradually transformed into peat.
5. Coal Formation: Further burial and geological processes continued to compress the peat, turning it into the hard, black, carbon-rich substance we know as coal.
So, coal was once a thriving ecosystem of plants!
